Ending Happily
by nozomi.no.uta
Summary: When dolls and tea parties aren't enough, Demyx relies on story-telling to entertain his little cousins...only he's not the one telling the stories. Zexion is...and he's putting his own twists on the tales at the expense of his friends.
1. Because the Electricity Was Out

**Author's Comments: **Hello! This has been sitting in my USB for a while, so I decided to post it just for the heck of it. I'm thinking of making this a multi-chapter piece with different KH pairings. Hope you enjoy this first installment!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Kingdom Hearts_ or the story of _Sleeping Beauty_.

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><p>"Arrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh…"<p>

Zexion didn't bother glancing up from his book. "I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from making such ghastly noises, Demyx."

"But my iPod died!" Demyx whined, throwing his head back against the couch and letting out a long groan. "It died right when my favorite part of the song was going to play!"

The slate-haired man grimaced. Without the iPod to keep his best friend busy, he just knew Demyx would complain about having nothing to do and being hungry and missing his favorite show on TV and wanting to go home during the next hour or two (or more, possibly) that the four of them would spend in the dark without any electricity. To Zexion, that meant less reading time, a whopping headache, and ears itching for relief.

That just wouldn't do.

"You're supposed to be watching your little cousins anyway," he told Demyx as he turned the page. "It's what you're being paid for."

"Demmy!" one of the cousins—the irritatingly deafening one—cried shrilly. "I'm bored!"

"Me too!" the other cousin—the irritatingly absentminded one—chimed in, holding up a few toy horses. "I don't wanna play with these anymore."

"Selphie, Ariel," Demyx moaned, slithering off the couch and slumping next to the girls on the floor, "there's nothing else to do. I don't have any other toys."

Zexion could visualize the drooping shoulders and the disappointed eyes glimmering in the candlelight…but the vision only lasted a few seconds.

"Tell us a story!" Selphie exclaimed suddenly, causing Zexion to flinch in his seat and pinch the page a little too hard.

"A story?" Demyx repeated.

"Yeah!" the little girl screeched. "I wanna hear a story about a princess!"

"And a prince!" Ariel added excitedly.

"And a fairy!"

"And fish!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Demyx held his hands up. "_Fish?_"

The two girls begged. "C'mon Demmy! Please?"

Zexion felt something nudge his leg. When he looked up from the book, he found Demyx staring at him with wide, nervous eyes. _Help,_ they screamed.

_Just tell them stories from those old animated movies we used to watch when we were kids,_ Zexion shot back with a half-lidded glance before returning to his book.

A moment or two of sputtering and then a defeated sigh. "O-Okay…I'll try…"

"Yay!" the girls cheered.

He heard Demyx fumble. "Uh…Once upon a time, there was a…aw, great…"

As expected. Demyx didn't remember any of the animated movies they'd seen as kids. Yet another nugget of proof that Demyx's forgetfulness was his greatest downfall.

Zexion rolled his eyes and stifled a longsuffering sigh. Sometimes he felt like he always had to do all the work.

"Let me." Zexion wedged his bookmark into the spine of his book carefully before shutting it and setting it aside on the couch. He arose and took a seat between Demyx and Ariel. He could handle the absentminded one better than the deafening one.

Demyx blinked owlishly. "You remember stories?"

He shot him a sidelong glare through his bangs. "You'll find out if you keep quiet and let me tell them."

The honey-blond reeled back and held his hands up in surrender. "Touchy."

"Ooh, Zexy! Zexy!" the deafening one squealed, bouncing on her bum. "Tell us a story about Roxy!"

His indigo eyes blinked and widened. "A story about Roxas?"

Her pigtails bobbed as she nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Make him the prince!"

"And make Nammy the princess!" the absentminded one said.

He shared a bemused glance with Demyx before reiterating slowly, "You want to hear a story about Roxas and Namine."

"Yeah!" they cried. "Ple-e-e-e-ease?"

Well. The night just got interesting. Whether the girls intended to pair the two oblivious lovers was beyond him…but the girls asked _so_ nicely. Who was Zexion to refuse such a request?

A mischievous smirk tugged at his lips. "Very well," he murmured, glancing at Demyx one last time to catch the blond's wink. "Once upon a time…"

* * *

><p>…There was a king and a queen. The queen had just given birth to a daughter named Namine and the kingdom rejoiced and celebrated. Rulers of neighboring kingdoms traveled to see the newborn princess, bringing gifts and congratulating the king and queen. Among these rulers was the good friend of the king. To unite their kingdoms forever, they decided that the princess would be betrothed to the son of the king's friend, the young Prince Roxas.<p>

The three good fairies also visited the princess. Their names were…

_Zexion trailed off, his brow wrinkling and his lips curling into a frown. Should he use the names from the movie or should he insert real people?_

_ "What were their names?" Selphie asked._

_ His ears ached at the slight screech in her voice. There was no time to insert real people…not in this story, anyway._

Their names were Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Each of the fairies bestowed a gift onto the princess. Flora bestowed the gift of beauty. Fauna bestowed the gift of song.

_"But Namine doesn't sing," Ariel said._

_ "In this story she does," Zexion explained as patiently as he could._

_ "No! Make her good at drawing!" Selphie demanded._

_His jaw clenched down on his growl. Through gritted teeth Zexion amended…_

Fauna bestowed the gift of art. Before Merryweather could bestow her gift, the room became immersed in darkness at the arrival of the wicked witch Maleficent. The witch was upset at not being invited to visit the princess and so cursed young Namine to die when she touched the spindle of a spinning wheel before the sunset of her sixteenth birthday. Maleficent then vanished, cackling and cursing, and the king and queen were greatly saddened.

Merryweather still had her gift to bestow. To protect the princess, she bestowed a blessing to alleviate the curse. Instead of dying when she touched the spindle of a spinning wheel, Princess Namine would fall into a deep sleep that she could only wake from with true love's kiss.

The king promptly decreed that all the spinning wheels in the kingdom be burned and destroyed, but the three good fairies knew that that would not be enough to stop Maleficent's curse. Thus, with the king and queen's blessing, they took Princess Namine and hid with her in a cottage in the middle of the forest, changing her name and pretending to be her aunts and swearing off magic.

_"What was her name now?" Selphie asked._

_ Must these monsters overcomplicate things? Zexion sighed, thought, and finally said, "Ennami."_

_ "Ennami?" the girls—and Demyx—repeated._

_ "Is there a problem with that?" the slate-haired bookworm asked._

_ "Ha, ha, no!" Demyx quickly answered, shaking his head fervently. "Keep going!"_

Ennami grew into a beautiful girl who loved to draw and paint and dream of falling in love. On her sixteenth birthday, the good fairies sent her out of the cottage to collect berries. Ennami did as she was told, wandering and dreaming in the forest. Her friends, the woodland animals, listened to her as she mused aloud about meeting the love of her life in a dream.

Then, a dashing young man appeared. He had golden hair, bluer-than-blue eyes, and a smile that rivaled a thousand suns. Ennami was startled and embarrassed that he had overheard her musings but soon the man and Ennami fell in love.

_"Roxas!" Selphie cried in delight. "She fell in love with Prince Roxas!"_

_ "Yay!" Ariel cheered._

_ Well. There went the irony of the story._

_ Zexion stifled another sigh. It wouldn't have been any use anyway. The girls were too young to know what "irony" was._

Suddenly she remembered that she was supposed to return to the cottage and left without telling the man her name or learning his. She could only tell him to find her at the cottage where she lived.

While Ennami was gone, the good fairies were trying to make her a cake and sew her a gown for her birthday. They argued and without their magic, their attempts were useless. For the sake of pleasing Ennami, they vowed to use magic just this once and made the most beautiful gown and the most extravagant birthday cake.

Maleficent's crow Diablo spotted the magic and realized that the cottage was where Princess Namine was hiding. He flew back to Maleficent and reported this and the witch devised a plan to bring the prince and the princess to their downfall.

When Ennami returned to the cottage, she told the good fairies of the man she met in the forest. Alarmed, the good fairies finally revealed that Ennami was in fact a princess and that she was betrothed to someone else already. Ennami fell into despair for she believed she could love no other.

That night, the good fairies and Princess Namine returned to the castle. Nothing the king or queen or fairies said or did could console the princess. They left her alone to weep for the man.

_"Poor Namine," Selphie cooed._

Then, a strange light caught the princess' attention. It was a green orb of light that floated in midair. Mesmerized, the princess followed the light until she came across a spinning wheel. "Touch the spindle," a voice in her head said. "Touch it."

She did as she was told and fell to the ground, drowning in a deep sleep. The fairies found her and took her to her bedroom and placed the entire kingdom in a deep sleep until the spell was broken. As the fathers of Princess Namine and Prince Roxas were falling asleep, Prince Roxas' father mentioned his son being in love with a peasant girl he had found in the forest earlier that day. The fairies realized that Prince Roxas was the man Princess Namine had met in the forest and that he was her one true love—the one to break the spell.

Quickly, the fairies ventured to search for Prince Roxas and found him at Maleficent's castle, bound in chains and weak of spirit. They broke him free and told him of Princess Namine's curse and Prince Roxas escaped the castle with them, vowing to save Princess Namine.

The evil witch Maleficent discovered his escape and surrounded Princess Namine's kingdom with thorns, blocking the way for Prince Roxas. She also transformed herself into a giant fire-breathing dragon. The prince slashed at the thorns with his sword and fought the witch to the edge of a cliff, sending her toppling over to her death.

He quickly made his way to the kingdom and to Princess Namine's side, kissing her lips and awakening her. The kingdom awoke as well and rejoiced for Maleficent was no more. Soon Prince Roxas and Princess Namine married and lived happily ever after.

* * *

><p>Just then, the lights flickered on. Zexion's eyes stung at the sudden light but he sighed in relief. There wouldn't be any more storytelling tonight now that the electricity was back.<p>

"That was a good story!" Ariel said, clapping her hands.

"Shh, Ariel." Demyx puckered his lips and glued his upright pointer finger to them. "You'll wake Selphie."

Zexion glanced at the sleeping girl on Demyx's lap. Her chest rose and fell gently with each deep breath she took. A smile tugged at a corner of his lips. No wonder his storytelling went uninterrupted during the latter half.

"I think she fell asleep because of your boring elaborate words," Demyx teased him, smirking as he rose with the girl in his arms.

Instantly the small smile fell. He was _not_ boring. He was _descriptive_. Before Zexion could tell him this, Demyx beckoned Ariel to follow him to the bedroom. It was past the girls' bedtime.

"But I'm not…sleepy…" the redhead protested, a yawn separating her words. "I wanna hear another story…"

"I'll tell you one tomorrow, okay?" Demyx promised her. "Now come on. Say goodnight to Zexy first."

Zexion cringed at the nickname but politely wished the girl goodnight as she dragged her feet after her cousin and disappeared around the corner. "I wanna hear a story about fish," he could hear her complain.

He shook his head and sighed, leaning against the couch and picking up his book. He was _so_ glad he didn't have any little cousins to look after. He'd had enough with storytelling for a lifetime.

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><p><strong>Author's Afterthought: <strong>Thoughts? Please leave a review. Thanks for reading!


	2. Because the Car Ride Was Long

**Author's Comments:** Hello! After doing a lot of refreshing of the memory on my part, here's the next story. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Kingdom Hearts, Sleeping Beauty,_ or _The Little Mermaid._

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><p>He narrowed his eyes. "Ariel and Selphie wanted to go to the aquarium," he growled through his clenched jaw.<p>

Demyx nodded, turning into the driveway of his cousins' house and parking the car. "Yeah."

"And their parents wanted you to take them."

"Yeah."

Zexion unbuckled his seatbelt, thrust the car door open, climbed out, and slammed it shut. "So how the hell did _I_ get dragged into this?"

"C'mon Zex! The girls love you!" Demyx pleaded, shutting his car door with less force and striding to the front door of the house. "They wouldn't stop asking me for a story when I saw them the other day."

"So why didn't you tell them a story?"

"Because I _suck _compared to you. You know that!"

"I only modified the story of _Sleeping Beauty_ to fit the girls' request. I'm sure you could do the same."

"I don't remember details as well as you do."

Zexion's temples throbbed. "Then make up your own."

"That's too much thinking involved." Demyx shrugged and knocked on the door before Zexion could spit out a sharp comment about Demyx's lack of forced imagination. Soon, a woman appeared and he smiled brightly for her. "Hey Aunty."

"Hello Demyx. Hello Zexion." The woman smiled and out of courtesy, Zexion pulled the corners of his mouth up. "The girls are—"

"DEMMY!"

Zexion stepped to the side as the girls charged right at Demyx and toppled him over, squealing and laughing. He balled his hand into a fist and shut his eyes, willing the headache to go away. Go away. Go. A. _Way_.

"Thank you for taking care of them today," the girls' mother told them.

"It's no trouble at all," Zexion lied, that plastic smile still glued onto his face. "We'll bring them back by dinner."

She nodded, turning to the girls as Demyx struggled to stand upright. "You two had better behave, alright?"

"Yes, Mama!" they chimed.

"C'mon you two." Demyx took long strides back to the car with a girl wrapped around each leg.

Zexion nodded to the girls' mother and followed them, rolling his eyes and dropping his fake grin once his back was turned.

"Zexy! Zexy!" Selphie screeched from the backseat as Zexion slid into the car. "Tell us another story!"

"Make it a story about fish!" Ariel put in.

"_Please_ make it a story about fish," Demyx pleaded, flashing puppy eyes at Zexion while clicking the girls' seatbelts in place. He leaned towards the front of the car to hiss in his ear, "Do _The Little Mermaid_ or something."

"Why don't _you_ do it?" Zexion hissed back over his shoulder. "That was _your_ favorite movie growing up."

"I only remember the songs!"

"Then _sing_ the story to them."

"_Heck_ no. I'm gonna sound stupid if Ariel starts singing along."

"She's just a child."

"Have you _heard _her sing? She's the next _Hollow Bastion Idol_."

"Demmy! I wanna hear a story!" Selphie whined.

"Okay, okay, just hang tight. Zexy's got the _perfect_ story to tell." Zexion exhaled sharply as Demyx shook the back of his seat for emphasis. "_Right,_ Zexy?"

"Of course," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Yay!"

That headache began pounding harder against his temples. Zexion was tempted to wind his seatbelt around his neck and _tug._

"You'd better get to it," Demyx chirruped as he jumped into the driver's seat and revved the engine. "The aquarium's a whole hour away."

He sank into his seat, crossing his arms and hunching his shoulders. It appeared that unless he was willing to endure an hour of two complaining girls and a smug Demyx (who was _sure_ to take the scenic route to prolong the trip and irritate Zexion), he had no choice but to comply to the girls' wishes. Zexion was not pleased.

But perhaps there was a way to make the story more entertaining for Zexion…Inserting Roxas and Namine as the main characters certainly worked in the _Sleeping Beauty_ story. What if he applied the same concept to _The Little Mermaid_?

The more Zexion thought about it, the bigger his smirk grew. He knew _just_ the person to use. "Once upon a time…"

* * *

><p>…There was a magnificent kingdom deep in the crystalline ocean where all creatures of the sea lived. It was a peaceful, colorful, vibrant kingdom governed by the powerful King Triton, ruler of the sea. All the kingdom's inhabitants were content…except one. The king's youngest son, Riku—<p>

_"Pfft! _Riku?_" Demyx threw back his head and laughed heartily. "R-Riku…_Riku's_ the Little Mermaid?"_

_ "He's a mer_man._"_

_ "Oh mah gawd, that's so funnay!"_

_ "Demmy! Let Zexy continue the story!" Selphie huffed from the backseat._

_ "Thank you, Selphie." Zexion cleared his throat, straightened in his seat, and restated again:_

The king's youngest son, Riku—

_"Pfft."_

_ "Demyx."_

_ "I'm sorry! The thought of Riku having a fishtail cracks me up!" Upon glancing Zexion's warning glare, Demyx's giggles subside. "I'm sorry. I'll stop. Go ahead."_

The king's youngest son, Riku, was obsessed with what existed above the surface of the ocean—the human world. He could not stop talking about the human world, but not many merpeople minded; his voice held such passion that could not be replicated and held a certain magic that drew others to him. He scavenged shipwrecks and spied on vessels when they passed overhead. His father disapproved, warning him not to go to the surface to see the humans, but Riku never listened.

One night, Riku spotted the shadow of a great ship. Curious, he snuck out of bed and swam to the surface, climbing up the side of the ship and perching just below deck. He snuck a glance…and saw the most beautiful human he'd ever seen. No mermaid compared to her beauty—lightly tanned skin that glowed in the torchlight, bright blue eyes that sparkled, glossy short dark hair that danced in the wind—

_Zexion_ _rolled his eyes as he spotted Demyx's jaw drop. "Xion?" Demyx mouthed in shock. "Riku and Xion?"_

_ Clueless idiot. He'd have to explain later…if he had the patience once this ordeal was over with._

The longer he watched her, the deeper in love he fell for the girl. His concentration was broken, however, when he heard a rumbling in the distance. A storm was brewing fast. The waves grew choppy and harsh, slapping the boat so that it rocked capriciously.

Then, a bolt of lightning struck the boat. Riku leapt from his perch and swam a distance away, glancing back as the ship crumbled beneath flames. The humans descended in a dinghy…all but the girl. Riku watched in horror as the girl clambered onto the ship in a panic, shouting and searching the deck for something.

It wasn't until he saw her throw something furry with four legs to the dinghy that he understood why she risked her life to return. Just as the ship began to sink, the girl dove into the rough waters and did her best to stay afloat amidst the rough waters. Still, exhaustion weighed down the girl's limbs and she slowly sank below the surface.

Immediately Riku swam to her side, grabbing her and pulling her to the safety of the shore, speaking his thoughts to her and remaining with her to make sure she regained consciousness. He yearned to be with her longer, but at the sound of voices approaching, he quickly dove into the ocean, lingering out of sight to watch her leave safely with a few other humans.

So intense was his desire to be with the girl he spent every waking moment thinking of her. His strange behavior caused the kingdom to gossip and soon his father the king spoke with him. When Riku proclaimed his love for the girl, his father was enraged. After a heated argument, Riku stormed off, threatening to never speak to his father again.

_"Oh no!" Ariel cried._

_ "Then what?" Selphie wanted to know. _

As he swam farther from the kingdom, Riku heard whispers. "There is someone who can help you be with that human," the whisperers revealed. "Seek out Ursula the sea witch and you can become part of that world."

The whisperings intrigued Riku so he set out to find this Ursula. His search led him to the dark cold depths of the ocean where an octopus woman lounged lazily. When asked of his visit, Riku cautiously explained his dilemma. "The only way to get what you want," Ursula told him, "is to become a human yourself."

_"Riku's gonna turn into a human?" Selphie exclaimed. "But how?"_

_ "Was Ursula going to do it?" Ariel asked._

_ Zexion glanced at the girls in the rearview mirror. "Yes, she was," he said. "She had a certain conviction for helping poor, unfortunate souls."_

Ursula had conditions, however. Riku must allow Ursula to take his voice in order to change his tail into legs. In order for Riku to become human permanently, he would have to get the girl of his dreams to fall in love with him within three days of becoming human. If the girl didn't kiss Riku before sunset on the third day, he would change into a merman again and his soul would belong to Ursula forever.

Upon Riku's approval, the deed was done. His voice left him, fleeing to a shell hanging from Ursula's thick neck, and his tail split into two legs. He could no longer breathe so he scrambled for the surface of the water, breaking through with a gasp and flailing until he was able to crawl on land.

As he was trying to figure out how to walk, a furry creature with four legs approached him along with the girl he fell for. She came to his side cautiously, asking if he was her mysterious man with the captivating voice who saved her when her ship capsized. Indeed he was, but he could not prove his identity because he could not speak.

Despite her disappointment, the girl introduced herself as Xion and took Riku to her home—a castle standing proudly on the seashore. The two became friends as they spent time together, communicating through hand signals and yes-or-no questions. He learned that Xion was a princess who loved voyages on the ocean and her dog Max. The more time he spent with her, the greater Riku's love for her grew and the greater his need to get her to kiss him became.

Sooner than he liked, the third day approached. However, when he went to greet the princess, he found another man at her side. His heart broke when he overheard Xion confess her belief that the strange man was her rescuer and bid her servants to prepare for an immediate wedding with him.

_"What?" Selphie cried slash shrieked, drawing out a flinch from Zexion. "No! She's supposed to be with Riku!"_

_ "Yeah!" Ariel—and Demyx, to Zexion's chagrin—chimed in._

_ Zexion took a moment to breathe in deeply and let his irritation mostly seep out with his exhale. "Be patient, you three," he said. "Just listen to the story."_

All hope was lost as he watched the sun make its way across the sky and the girl of his dreams sail away on her ship with the wedding party.

_"NO-O-O-O! That's not what's supposed to happen!"_

_ "I don't like this story!"_

_ "Zex, you _suck_ at story-telling."_

_ "I said _be patient,_" Zexion growled, his fingers twitching as he fought the urge to rip his hair out. "You'll get your happy ending." _

At that moment, a friend of his—a seagull named Scuttle—flew to his side and informed him that the man Xion was about to marry was Ursula the sea witch in disguise.

_"I knew it."_

_ "Shut _up_, Demyx."_

Riku's resolve to stop the wedding exploded with the new knowledge he'd acquired from his friend. He leapt into a dinghy and rowed after the ship as his friends from the sea did all they could to stall the wedding upon Scuttle's instruction. Just as Riku climbed aboard the ship, he watched the shell around the man's neck shatter and his voice returned to him. As Riku spoke, Xion finally realized that it was he who saved her that night. It was all too late, though, for the sun had set and Riku's legs were transforming into the tail of a fish. Ursula changed back to her original form and snatched Riku with her octopi legs, disappearing into the depths of the ocean.

Riku's father, the king, confronted Ursula and demanded the release of his son, but because Riku was under contract with Ursula, he could not be freed. The king vouched to take Riku's place as Ursula's prisoner, much to Riku's indignation. The offer was one Ursula could not refuse, and so the king relinquished his authority as king of the sea to her and shrank into a powerless polyp.

_"What's a polyp?"_

_ Zexion racked his brain for an answer that two little girls could comprehend easily...and grimaced upon realizing he'd have to use the most ungraceful word in the English language. "It's a small…thing."_

_ "Oh."_

Riku tried to take his father's trident from Ursula, but she rounded on him, warning against aggravating her. Just then, a spear shot by Ursula, nicking her arm. When Riku looked for the source, his heart sank upon seeing Xion glaring resentfully at Ursula.

Ursula ordered her cronies—two electric eels—to hold the girl in place for her to kill, but just as she was about to shoot lethal energy at Xion, Riku yanked on Ursula's hair and caused her to miss, hitting and killing her cronies instead. Together with Xion, Riku quickly swam to the water's surface before Ursula snapped out of her shock.

_"And they escaped and lived happily ever after!" Ariel cheered._

_ Zexion shook his head. "Not quite."_

As Xion and Riku broke through the surface, the waves grew choppy and the dark clouds above them swirled ominously. Before their eyes, an enormous Ursula rose high above them, cackling and commanding the waves to crash and separate them. Riku watched in horror as Xion was swept away and as Ursula stirred up a whirlpool with her huge trident. "The sea and all its spoils bow to my power!" Ursula declared.

Shipwrecked vessels spun with the whirlpool's current. Riku was sucked into the center of the whirlpool, trapped for Ursula to zap and kill. Fruitlessly he dodged every bolt and tried to come up with a way to defeat the sea witch. All hope slipped away from him when he saw Ursula position the trident above her head in preparation for a violent downward thrust…

Suddenly, a loud cry of agony shot through the howling wind. Riku whipped his head to Ursula and saw her convulsing and shrieking at the ship that was stabbed into her side. The whirlpool collapsed around him as Ursula sank.

When the storm calmed, Riku swam close to the shore where Xion was resting, watching her with sad eyes. He dared not approach her, though, lest his gravity of the situation weigh heavier on his heart. He doubted he'd ever be with her now that he was a merman again.

But then, a glow from below caught his eye. When he looked down, he saw his tail separating into legs. In wonder he searched for the source of the magic and found his father, smiling gently at him and quietly bidding him to be with Xion. Riku's heart soared upon receiving his father's blessing and gift and he ran to the shore to be with Xion. The two married and lived happily ever after.

* * *

><p>"Yay!" the girls in the back seat cried. "Riku and Xion lived happily ever after!"<p>

"Yay!" Demyx cheered along with them…but for a slightly different reason. "We found good parking and the girls get in free!"

Zexion undid his seatbelt with a shake of his head. His mouth was dry and his tongue tired from all the talking he did. The next story would have to be less wordy.

Not that there was going to _be_ another story, he hoped.

"Riku and Xion! Riku and Xion!"

He seriously doubted there would be another story once Riku tried to strangle him upon hearing of Zexion's little story modification this time around. Not that Zexion minded; the inability to tell any more stories would seem like more of a _reward_ for turning Riku into a half-fish, commonly feminine creature.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Afterthought: <strong>What'd you think? Kind of an unexpected cast of characters, maybe, but hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review! Thanks for reading!


	3. Because He Swore This Was the Last Time

**Author's Comments: **Hello! After finding the time to write and looking up various clips of this movie because I'd forgotten how the story went, I _finally_ finished this chapter. Keep in mind that the storyline I wrote isn't the same as the one in the movie. Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Kingdom Hearts_ or _The Swan Princess_.

* * *

><p>"This'll be the <em>last<em> time. I _swear._"

Zexion glared at Demyx. "That's what you said three days ago."

"I know, but I mean it this time!" Demyx waved his hands around wildly to emphasize his point. "Look, the girls have school starting Monday meaning there won't be any need for us—"

"For _you, _you mean. _You're _the one babysitting them."

"But you're helping, too."

"Against my will."

"Anyway, starting Monday, the girls won't need us and we'll be busy with school so it all works out. No more storytelling after today." Demyx shrugged with a hesitant grin. "Sounds good, right?"

Of course the part about Zexion never having to tell another story after today sounded good…but that would be _after_ today. Today, Demyx dragged Zexion into yet _another_ day excursion with his talkative younger cousins to the park. Today, Zexion had to spend nearly twenty munny to buy ice cream (two cones for Ariel since she dropped her first) for everyone since Demyx forgot his wallet at home. Today, he had to put up with Selphie's screeching when she didn't get to her favorite swing before another child snatched it from under her snot-filled nose.

To top it all off, the girls demanded another story.

With a sigh, he conceded. There was no avoiding it if he wanted to spare his ears and his wallet just to keep the girls from driving him crazy. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered.

"That's the spirit!" Demyx proclaimed, calling his cousins from the playground. When they rushed to his side excitedly, he asked them, "Okay, girls. You know the drill: no big interruptions while Zexy's telling the story."

"Okay!" both girls chimed, scrambling onto the bench between him and Demyx. Their legs swung back and forth over the edge of the seat in anticipation. "Tell us a story, Zexy!"

Zexion's eyes flitted around the peaceful park for prompts…and lit up at the sight of a serene swan gliding across the glassy surface of the pond. Alright, he found a story. As for the characters…

The corners of his mouth turned upward. Those two would be _perfect._ He began, "Once upon a time…"

* * *

><p>There were two kingdoms whose rulers were good friends. To one kingdom was born a son named Zack; to the other, a daughter named Aerith. So great was the friendship between the rulers that they decided to marry their children and unite their kingdoms once they were of age.<p>

_"I like this story already," Demyx murmured under his breath with a big grin._

The children, however, were not pleased. From the moment they first met, they despised each other. Summer became their least favorite season for they were forced by their parents to visit the other's home kingdom every year. They bickered, schemed against each other, and refused to get along. Their behavior troubled their parents to no end.

Yet something changed between them one year. Prince Zack had grown to be a handsome young man and Princess Aerith had become a lovely young woman. Upon seeing each other, the two fell in love…but for questionable reasons. When Aerith asked Zack why he loved her, he proclaimed that it was because of her beauty and nothing else, believing that beauty was all that mattered. Heartbroken, Princess Aerith refused to go through with a wedding unless Prince Zack could prove that his love for her extended far deeper than outward appearance. The rulers of the kingdoms, fed up with their children's fighting, lost all hope of uniting their kingdoms through their children.

As Princess Aerith and her parents returned to their home, their carriage was attacked by an evil sorcerer named Lord Rothbart who thirsted for power over their kingdom. The sorcerer, after transforming into a grotesque beast, defeated the soldiers accompanying the royal family, killed the king and queen, and kidnapped the princess before stealing into the stormy night.

Prince Zack, still devastated at having lost the trust of the love of his life, received the horrifying news from a soldier who'd escaped the ambush. The soldier informed him that a great animal had attacked the carriage and kidnapped the princess. From that night on, he vowed to hunt down the great animal and rescue Princess Aerith, knowing in his heart that she was still alive somewhere.

Lord Rothbart took the princess to his lair near a secluded lake. Several times he asked and demanded her to marry him so he would become ruler of her family's kingdom. To his frustration, she always answered with a no. Deeply vexed, he cast a terrible spell on her, transforming her into a swan. Every night when the moon's reflection hit the surface of the lake, the princess would change back into a human. However, when the moon's reflection disappeared, she would revert back into a swan. Only a vow of everlasting love could break the spell.

_He paused to allow the details to sink into the girls' minds. It was a bit of a pleasant surprise to hear no interruption of any sort from them—no comments, no questions, no exclamations…_

_ Then again, the story was only beginning._

Princess Aerith soon befriended a few woodland animals who lived near the lake and witnessed her transformation: a turtle named—

_"Lek-sis."_

_ The name died on Zexion's tongue as he glanced down at Selphie. "Pardon?"_

_ "Lek-sis," she repeated seriously._

_ His brow inched together. Who the hell was Lek-sis? Unless she really meant…"Lexaeus?"_

_ "Uh-huh. Lek-sis."_

_ Zexion stared at her for a few moments…then sighed quietly. He knew the girls would come up with something to say eventually._

"_Why Lexaeus?" Demyx asked his cousin patiently._

_ "Because Lek-sis is kinda like a turtle," Ariel answered for her sister. "He's slow but he has a tough shell."_

_ "Oh, I see." He nodded in what could've been a mixture of agreement and acceptance of her explanation. He flashed a sheepish glance to Zexion. "Okay, so the turtle's name is Lexaeus."_

_ Zexion merely blinked back. It didn't make much of a difference to him what the turtle was called. The use of their friends' names made the story slightly more interesting, if anything._

Princess Aerith befriended a turtle name Lexaeus, a frog named—

_"Demmy!"_

_ The sudden outbursts, on the other hand, Zexion could've done without._

_ "Me?" Demyx pointed a finger to himself. "I'm the frog?"_

_ "Yeah 'cuz frogs live in the water and you like the water!" Selphie told him with a gleeful laugh._

_ He laughed along, wrapping his arms loosely around the redheaded cousin. "But Ariel likes the water, too."_

_ Ariel scrunched up her face. "I don't wanna be a frog."_

_ "Okay, okay. I'll be the frog," Demyx volunteered. _

_ Zexion stared at the three of them. Were they finished discussing?_

_ "Sorry," Demyx chuckled nervously. "Go on."_

Princess Aerith befriended a turtle named Lexaeus, a frog named Demyx, and a puffin named…

_Zexion purposely trailed off just in case the girls wanted to insert a name again._

_ "What's a puffin?" Selphie asked._

_ "It's a small bird," he explained._

_ "What kinda bird?"_

_ "A small sea bird. It's black and white with a colorful beak."_

_ "Oh…" Selphie hummed thoughtfully, her lips twisting in a frown. "A bird…"_

_ "I know!" Ariel cried. "Xiggy!"_

_ Zexion reeled back just as Demyx caught himself from falling off the bench in shock. They shared a bewildered look. _Xigbar?

_ "The puffin's name is…Xiggy?" Demyx reiterated slowly._

_ Another sigh snuck out of him as the girls nodded and congratulated themselves on a successful naming. Zexion didn't want to know what the logic behind _that_ choice was._

Princess Aerith befriended a turtle named Lexaeus, a frog named Demyx, and a puffin named Xigbar. As a favor to the princess for saving his life after a hunter's arrow shot through his wing, Xigbar vowed to help Princess Aerith by finding a way to bring her one true love—Prince Zack—to her.

Meanwhile, Prince Zack had been training in order to fight the great animal that had kidnapped Princess Aerith. He and his best friend Cloud ventured into the forest one day to hunt down the creature, but neither were sure _what_ kind of creature they were trying to find. The only clue they had came from the words of the soldier who'd given them the news that night: "It's not what it seems."

_"Hah. Cloud."_

_ "Shhh, Demmy!"_

_ "Sorry."_

Aimlessly the two men wandered in the forest. At the same time, Xigbar and Princess Aerith were flying towards the prince's castle and crossing his path by chance. Xigbar and the princess were delighted at finding the prince so quickly, but soon their delight turned to horror when the prince began shooting arrows at them. Prince Zack believed that a swan—Princess Aerith—was the perfect creature for the great animal to disguise as.

Frantically, Xigbar and Princess Aerith tried to lead the men to the lake without being shot. Time was running out quickly as they flew through the forest with the prince and his friend hot on their trail. Just as the moonlight hit the lake, the princess alighted into the water and Xigbar hid in the trees.

Prince Zack and Cloud were astonished to see the swan they'd tried to kill transform into a human. When the prince realized it was Princess Aerith, he dropped his bow and ran toward her, hugging her tightly. Questions spilled from the prince's lips between the kisses he showered on her face, but before the princess could answer all of them, they heard footsteps and Lord Rothbart's voice calling.

Princess Aerith begged the two men to leave before Lord Rothbart found them. After much protest, the prince finally agreed and reluctantly began to go…when suddenly an idea hit him. He told the princess to come to his castle the next night for his mother, the queen, would be holding a ball. At the ball, he would make a vow of everlasting love to Princess Aerith in front of all the guests, thus breaking the spell she was under. He and Cloud only left when the princess promised to go to the ball.

Unfortunately, Lord Rothbart overheard everything. He was not concerned, however, because he knew that there would be no moon the following night and thus no way for Princess Aerith to turn into a human. When he told the princess this, she fell into despair, crying tears of hopelessness as she transformed back into a swan.

The next night, Lord Rothbart locked the swan in a tower near the lake, transformed himself into the splitting image of Princess Aerith, and went to the ball with the intent of making Prince Zack declare his love for the wrong person. The princess' friends, determined to help her break the spell and be with her love, broke into the tower and freed her from captivity by digging a hole in the stone wall of the tower for her to swim through. She flew as fast as she could, hoping she would not be too late.

Royal women from all over had attended the ball in hopes of capturing Prince Zack's heart, but the prince entertained them halfheartedly as he searched for Princess Aerith in the crowd. When she finally walked in, his heart soared and he hurried to her side, pulling her in for a dance. However, the woman he thought was Princess Aerith was in fact Lord Rothbart in disguise.

The real princess, breathless and exhausted, arrived at the castle but had no way of getting inside. Through the windows she witnessed the prince and her doppelganger dance and smile. Despair filled her heart when she saw the prince motion for the orchestra to stop playing and begin to make an announcement to the crowd. "I make a vow of everlasting love," he declared, smiling at the fake princess by his side, "to Aerith."

Lord Rothbart cackled at the prince's foolishness as he revealed himself to the crowd. The ball guests cowered in fear at his presence and the room grew dark and the air ominous. Angered, Prince Zack demanded an explanation from the sorcerer and was aghast to realize he made his vow to a fraud. He dashed out of the castle, saddled his steed, and rode swiftly to the lake where he met her the day before.

By this time, Princess Aerith had no choice but to fly back to the lake where she would be bound to her curse forever. Tears blinded her vision and her heart ached. She did her best to return, but having used a great deal of her strength in trying to get to Prince Zack's castle, she could barely move her wings to fly. She barely made it to the lake, collapsing at the water's edge in a heap.

Prince Zack leapt off his steed at the sight of the swan and gathered her in his arms carefully. Apologies spilled from his lips as he tried to justify that his vow of everlasting love was for her alone. He could feel her body grow cold and limp in his arms as her strength left her.

Tears burned against the backs of his eyes—tears of guilt, frustration, and rage. He stood up after laying the swan down again, screaming into the quiet night, "The vow I made was for _her!_"

Lord Rothbart, who'd seen the whole thing, chuckled calmly at the prince's reaction, stoking his anger. Prince Zack rushed at Lord Rothbart and ordered him to save Princess Aerith's life. The sorcerer shoved the prince away, claiming he would only save her if the prince defeated him in a battle to the death.

Lord Rothbart filled his hands with bright light energy and threw it down at his feet, engulfing himself completely. The prince's eyes widened and jaw dropped when the light died away to reveal the great animal, the creature that had killed Princess Aerith's parents. Without a moment to lose, he drew his sword and charged at the animal. He slashed and thrashed and fought with all his might before finally slaying the beast with a thrust of his sword through Lord Rothbart's chest. Lord Rothbart stumbled back and fell into the lake, shrieking in agony.

Though exhausted, Prince Zack rushed to Princess Aerith's side, searching for any sign of life in her still body. As the moments dragged on, his heart slowly sank. She did not stir. He was too late…

"_No!" Selphie wailed. "I don't like that ending!"_

"_Me neither!" Ariel agreed._

_Zexion stifled a sigh. Note to self: don't build up the girls' anticipation. It wouldn't be worth it._

Just when Prince Zack was about to lose all hope, he noticed the princess' mouth twitch. Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at him with a loving smile. Elated, Prince Zack gathered her in his arms and kissed her.

* * *

><p>"And they lived happily ever after!" the girls cheered together.<p>

Zexion allowed a lopsided smile. It was done. "That's right."

"Yay!"

"Girls," Demyx began, "what do you say to Zexy?"

"Thank you, Zexy!" Selphie and Ariel chimed with wide grins on their faces. "That was a good story."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

And he was glad it was finally over. Because this was the last time. The absolute last time. Demyx _swore _it would be. Someone would be going to the hospital if this wasn't the case.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Afterthought: <strong>_The Swan Princess_ used to be my favorite movie growing up. I really liked the music. Did you like this chapter? Let me know in a review, please! Thanks for reading!


	4. Because They Were Stuck

**Author's Comments: **Happy new year! I swear, I am still working on _The Captive Heart Show_, but I felt the need to update this as well. I don't know how many more chapters I want to add to this, but I'm still having fun writing for this side project. I hope you still enjoy reading this and that you enjoy this new chapter! Thank you for your time!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Kingdom Hearts_ or the story of _Cinderella_.

* * *

><p>He watched Demyx bury his hands into his hair and groaned loudly. "You're kidding me…"<p>

Zexion rolled his eyes and sank further into his seat. His stomach sank with the familiar weight of dread. Of course Demyx would get a flat tire and leave them stranded on the freeway in the middle of the night.

He glanced into the rear view mirror and met the other pairs of eyes left in the car. Sora and Kairi shared the same anxiousness and uncertainty as they fidgeted in their seats. "Are we stuck here?" Sora asked.

He returned his gaze to Demyx and Riku as they inspected the damage outside the car. "Looks like it."

They watched Demyx pull out his cell phone and dial a number. Zexion barely picked up the quiet conversation between Sora and Kairi behind him about their phones running low on battery and their parents killing them for staying out so late on a school night. He himself pulled out his phone and began browsing his schedule for the next week. Thankfully he had a full battery.

The car doors opened and Riku and Demyx climbed back inside. "Sorry, guys." Demyx sighed. "It's gonna take at least an hour for the tow truck to get here."

Sora and Kairi groaned and began complaining about being tired and still having homework to do. Riku crossed his arms and cursed under his breath. Apparently his phone had died already.

Zexion opened his favorite word game on his phone. Homework? Dead phones? Sucked for them.

"Hey Zexion?"

"Yes?"

"I heard that you're good at telling stories…"

His head snapped up. Oh _hell_ no. "From whom did you hear that?" he nearly growled.

Sora shrank away, his eyes wide. "Demyx might have mentioned it while talking about his little cousins…"

Zexion shot a glare at Demyx out of the corner of his eyes. Damn him.

Demyx pointedly ignored him, looking the other way out the window…but Zexion could hear him gulp nervously.

"S-Since our phones are about to die and we have nothing better to do," Kairi squeaked, "do you think you could tell us a story to pass the time?"

He grunted dismissively, returning to his word game. No way.

"Please, Zexion?"

He was done with storytelling. _Done_. He'd had enough from dealing with Demyx's little cousins. As of that outing last week, he'd retired as a sorry excuse for a storyteller.

"C'mon, Zex," Riku insisted. "It's not like you have anything better to do right now."

He lifted his phone for them to see. "Actually, I do."

"What are we supposed to do for the next hour?" Sora wanted to know. "Can't you just tell us one little story? We're going to get bored just sitting here and we had all that coffee so we could stay awake to do our homework later."

"I don't think you understand the nature of the stories I've been telling Demyx's younger cousins."

"What do you mean? They're basically fairytales you've jazzed up, right?"

They just weren't going to give him peace, were they? Zexion glared at Demyx again, but saw that Demyx was watching him expectantly. His best friend shrugged and offered a small grin. "They'd really enjoy a story," he told Zexion, "and their reactions would be fun to see, right?"

His glare softened as he dwelled on Demyx's point. Their reactions…hmm. He supposed that might amuse him.

He conceded, closing his word game and pocketing his phone. "One story only."

"Yay!"

"I'm excited!"

He quickly searched his mind for a simple fairytale and for the actors to play the roles…then began. "Once upon a time…"

* * *

><p>…in a faraway kingdom, there was a young boy and his father. The father, a widower, loved his son dearly, but he felt his son needed a mother. Thus, he remarried to a woman with a good family background and two children about the same age as his son. By name, they were Marluxia and Larxene.<p>

_"Wait a minute."_

_ He locked gazes with Riku in the rear view mirror while suppressing a sigh. It didn't seem to matter how old his audience was. The interruptions were inevitable, weren't they?_

_ "You tell stories about real people?" Riku questioned, his eyebrow arching beneath his long bangs. _

_ Zexion matched his stare and arched his own eyebrow. "It makes the story interesting, does it not?"_

_ Riku exchanged uncertain glances with Sora and Kairi before shrugging. "Yeah, I guess so."_

_ "May I continue?"_

_ "Yeah."_

The boy's father passed away suddenly, and soon after, his stepmother's true nature was revealed: cold, demanding, and heartless. She recognized the boy's charm and good looks, even at his young age, and was bitterly jealous for her son and daughter. After the father's passing, she became dedicated to furthering the interests of her own children.

_"This story sounds familiar…"_

_ "It's _Cinderella_, Sora."_

_ "Ohhhhh! So Marluxia and Larxene are the evil stepsisters! That's smart."_

_ "But who's Cinderella…?"_

_ "Zex's doing a gender-bender on us, so it has to be a _guy_ we know…"_

_ "Ahem."_

_ He watched the three teens freeze in their seats and pull away from their huddled meeting. Sora shot him a sheepish grin. "Sorry."_

_ "May I continue?"_

_ "Y-Yeah."_

The years passed and their house fell into disrepair. The family's wealth was squandered on Marluxia and Larxene while the young boy was abused, humiliated, and forced to become a servant in his own home. Yet, to the stepmother's—

_"I wonder who the stepmot—"_

_ "Shhhhh! Let him tell the story!"_

_ He stifled the urge to roll his eyes, pausing for a few moments to make sure the three of them were really willing to be quiet while he spoke. _

To the stepmother's dissatisfaction, the boy grew into a handsome young man: tall, well-built, and piercing green eyes and fiery red hair—

_"Holy crap! _Axel _is Cinderella?"_

_ "Why Axel? He's like the last person to let someone step all over him—"_

_ "Shut up! He won't finish the story if everyone keeps interrupting!"_

_ "Sorry…I'm just mindblown."_

_ Zexion shook his head, a slight grin growing on his face. He had to admit that their reactions were quite amusing…despite how frequently they interrupted him. _

Axel grew into a handsome young man. Through it all, he remained charming and goodhearted, doing his best to live peacefully with his family for the sake of his late father.

_"Really?"_

_ "You'd be surprised how much of a softie Axel can be."_

_ "Whatever you say."_

One day as they were out shopping in town, a messenger from the kingdom made an announcement in the square: the princess would be throwing a ball and all eligible young men in the kingdom were invited to attend. She was to choose a suitor for her hand in marriage. Immediately, the stepmother began preparing to send Marluxia (and Larxene since she would not stop insisting on attending, despite her ineligibility for the princess' hand in marriage) to the ball the following night.

_"Larxene's such a rebel."_

_ "Maybe she's really…you know…"_

_ "No she's not."_

_ "Oh, okay."_

Axel, knowing well that he was eligible to attend, thought it would not hurt to ask his stepmother for permission to go as well. However, before even getting to ask, his stepmother made it very clear that he was not to attend the ball by openly forbidding him from even entertaining the notion. Though frustrated, Axel assisted his stepsiblings and stepmother in getting dressed in their evening attire and watched the three of them ride off towards the castle.

After they'd left, Axel retreated to the garden at the back of their chateau, burying his head in his hands and collapsing to the ground. He really, really wanted to go to the ball and see the princess. Ever since hearing the announcement of the ball in the square, he'd felt a sense of desperation in his heart…that no matter what, he _had_ to be at the ball.

"What am I going to do?" he thought to himself in despair.

Suddenly, a glow caught his eye. Before him a blond man in dark robes and piercings appeared in a flurry of smoke and dust. "Chin up, child," the man bid him calmly. "I can help you get to the ball."

"Who are you?" Axel asked him with wide eyes.

The man offered him a smile. "I am your fairy godfather, Luxord."

_"LUXORD?" everyone—including Demyx—exclaimed. _

_ "Shhhhhhhh!" Kairi hissed._

"Do you wish to go to the ball, Axel?" the man asked.

"More than anything," Axel admitted, shaking his head, "but I don't have any way of getting there."

Rolling his eyes, Luxord bid Axel to stand and assured him that he would be able to get to the ball. With a wave of his hand, he easily transformed a nearby pumpkin into a carriage, a few scurrying rats into horses and carriage attendants, and Axel's rags into a pristine suit. Axel marveled at it all, particularly the silk gloves on his hands. He could not remember wearing anything so smooth or weightless before.

Luxord urged Axel to hurry to the ball but left him with a warning: "You must get out of there by midnight," he said. "The magic will wear off at the strike of twelve."

Axel dismissed the warning and rushed to the castle. Upon arriving, he dashed up the stairs and burst into the ballroom with a loud crash. Everyone stopped dancing, gazing at him in surprise. After shaking off the initial embarrassment of causing such a scene, Axel found himself locking gazes with a beautiful girl standing in the middle of the dance floor. Her short dark hair framed her face gently and her dark eyes seemed to pierce his soul. She took his breath away.

_"Short dark hair? Dark eyes?" Sora glanced at Riku and Kairi questioningly. "Who do we know with that description…?"_

_ Zexion caught Demyx's smile growing and took a moment to smirk smugly before continuing. Clearly, Demyx knew. _

Axel descended the stairs to meet the girl—the _princess_, he realized upon noticing the sparkling tiara upon her head. "Y-Your Highness," he stammered, bowing as gracefully as he could.

"Good sir," he heard her say quietly, "won't you dance with me?"

The world around them disappeared. They danced and talked…and Axel found himself falling quickly for her. He now realized why he had to attend the ball: to meet his one true love, the princess. So great was his love for her that he could not resist the urge to lean in and press his lips to hers…

But the clock began to strike.

Axel leapt up, Luxord's warning ringing in his ears louder than the bells. "I have to go," he blurted, sprinting as fast as he could to his carriage. "I'm so sorry!"

"Wait!" the princess begged. "Please come back! I don't even know your name!" She reached out to grab his hand, but he slipped away, leaving behind a silk glove in her grasp.

_"What? No glass slipper action?"_

_ "Axel wouldn't wear glass slippers."_

Axel escaped into the night, his fine clothes fading into rags and his carriage now nothing but a crushed pumpkin. With a heavy heart, he jogged back home and prayed that his stepmother or stepsiblings did not see him at the ball.

Meanwhile, the princess could not sleep that night. That man had stolen off with her heart, leaving behind only a glove as a clue to his identity. Unable to bear the thought of never seeing the mysterious man again, she determined to search the entire kingdom for him the next morning.

The princess and a few attendants went door to door in search of him. However, not one man fit the glove perfectly as she remembered, and not one of their hands could replicate the same warmth she felt when she held the hand of the man she fell for the night before.

_"How could she not remember that Axel has _bright red hair_ and just get all the redheads to try on the glove?" Riku deadpanned._

_ Zexion sighed. "The story wouldn't be as interesting that way." _

"_And what if Axel wasn't the only redhead in the kingdom?" Kairi reasoned. _

Both Axel and his stepmother had heard that the princess was searching the kingdom for the man she fell for. Though Axel would not admit it to her, the stepmother knew Axel had somehow snuck out of the chateau and gone to the ball. Even if Axel was not the man the princess was searching for, the stepmother knew she had to smoke out any possibility of the princess seeing him, just in case. Hence, she crept to Axel's tiny chamber and locked him inside.

_"What a jealous bitch."_

_ "Riku!"_

_ "Hey, don't pretend you weren't thinking the same thing."_

When the princess arrived at the chateau, the stepmother brought out Marluxia to try the glove on…but his hand was too broad to fit it, no matter how hard they tried to slide it on. The stepmother insisted to the princess that the glove somehow shrank—a poor lie the princess saw through easily. Though the stepmother tried to convince the princess to court Marluxia, the princess stoutly refused, getting up to leave…

Then, Axel burst through the door of his chamber and dashed into the foyer. "Wait!" he cried. "Let me try the glove on."

The princess halted and the stepmother fumed. Axel stepped forward, kneeling before the princess and holding out his hand. Their hearts pounded in anticipation as the princess slipped the glove onto his hand. She placed her hand in his…and instantly recognized his warmth. She had found her love and he had revealed himself to her.

"Please tell me your name," she said.

He smiled and said, "Axel. A-X-E-L. Commit it to memory…Your Highness."

* * *

><p>"I knew you were going to put that in somewhere," Demyx cackled gleefully.<p>

Zexion shrugged with a smirk. "And they lived happily ever after."

"That was pretty good," Sora told him, smiling brightly. "I would never have thought Axel could fit the Cinderella role."

"But you never said who the princess was!" Kairi moaned. "It's killing me!"

"Yeah, who is she?" Riku asked.

Zexion shared a knowing look with Demyx before saying, "Perhaps you should get your eyes checked if you cannot guess who Axel's princess is."

"Aw, c'mon Zexion!"

"Give us a hint! It's someone we know, right?"

"Hey." Demyx sat up in his seat, his eyes brightening at the flashing lights approaching from behind. "The tow truck's here."

Zexion settled into his seat and pulled out his phone once more, tuning out the questions and wailing of the three teens. They got their story and now the tow truck would get them out of here. His work was done.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Afterthought:<strong> Do you know who the princess is? If you've read my other pieces, you probably do, don't you? I decided to leave the question unanswered just in case there was someone else you enjoy picturing as Axel's romantic interest. Please leave a review! Thank you for reading!


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